# Does size change the taste of the same cigar?



## ni8shadow (Jul 25, 2010)

An offshoot of my last post about the A.B. Tempus, I am wondering if different sizes of the same cigar yield a different taste. For example, does a Rocky Patel Edge Maduro Toro, taste the same as a robusto of the same cigar?


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## rocketmann82 (Jun 20, 2010)

ni8shadow said:


> An offshoot of my last post about the A.B. Tempus, I am wondering if different sizes of the same cigar yield a different taste. For example, does a Rocky Patel Edge Maduro Toro, taste the same as a robusto of the same cigar?


Yes!! I can tell you that the Rocky Patel Connecticut's differ in taste per size. While all of the sizes were good, the Churchill was a lot more mild than the rest of them. I liked the Robusto & Toro better, they seemed to have a lot more flavor & were a little stronger. Don't know if that's all cigars, but that's my limited experience for what it's worth.....


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Assuming we are talking about NC's here, I would say yes but the ring gauge would play a bigger part than length. Even though most NC's use the same blend throughout the differing vitolas in a line, with changes in RG there is a differing ratio of filler, binder and wrapper. This will lead to a different smoking experience. Just my :2


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## ni8shadow (Jul 25, 2010)

So a larger RG have a less concentrated flavor?


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Thats dependent on the strength of the binder & wrapper versus the filler. If the wrapper is light in taste & body then it will have less effect on the scheme of things but a 40RG smoke with a ligero wrapper is going to be stronger than a 54RG smoke with the same wrapper.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Tashaz said:


> Assuming we are talking about NC's here, I would say yes but the ring gauge would play a bigger part than length. Even though most NC's use the same blend throughout the differing vitolas in a line, with changes in RG there is a differing ratio of filler, binder and wrapper. This will lead to a different smoking experience. Just my :2


Warren is seldom wrong......


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

asmartbull said:


> Warren is seldom wrong......


The "Ratio" of agreement to that statement also depends on whom you ask, which forum your on, what "Binder" I used to tie my comments together in a post & indeed how much :BS I used as a "Wrapper"! ROTFLMAO. :bowdown:


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## ni8shadow (Jul 25, 2010)

Is there a "usual" size that you should start with when trying a new cigar? One that would better represent the flavors of the blend?


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## Nickerson (Mar 19, 2009)

Tashaz said:


> Assuming we are talking about NC's here, I would say yes but the ring gauge would play a bigger part than length. Even though most NC's use the same blend throughout the differing vitolas in a line, with changes in RG there is a differing ratio of filler, binder and wrapper. This will lead to a different smoking experience. Just my :2


Ring gauge determines taste.

Length determines time.

Though ring gauge can also determine time, such as a Nub cigar at a mere 4" can take an hour+ due to the 60+ ring gauge. Though the Nub is an relatively abnormal size for a cigar.

I think primarily they decide on the ring gauge for the desired taste, and then adjust the length based on time they want it to take to smoke.

Also I'd like to say there's a difference between "flavor" and "taste". I think cigars of the same series all have the same 'taste'. Its when you adjust the ring gauge of a cigar it changes the portions between filler to wrapper as well as changes the temperature at which it burns. These subtle differences are what I call 'flavor'.

Think of it this way. You can buy 2 different Vanilla ice creams from different companies. They both will 'taste' like vanilla, but they may have subtle differences between the overall flavor of the ice cream. Make sense?

So basically cigars of the same series with different size ring gauge usually have the same taste, but there may be differences in subtle flavors.



ni8shadow said:


> So a larger RG have a less concentrated flavor?


Not quite sure what you mean by concentrated. But larger ring gauges tend to have a cooler burn which effects the flavor significantly, which is the theory behind Nub cigars. Depends on the cigar, whether the filler is stronger than the wrapper. Maduro's generate a lot of flavor from the wrapper, where as natural cigars generate a lot of flavor from the filler.


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## Rookee (Aug 5, 2009)

ni8shadow said:


> Is there a "usual" size that you should start with when trying a new cigar? One that would better represent the flavors of the blend?


Don't know if it's the usual size to try first, but i like trying the robusto size first and work from there. Maybe it's just me but most cigars that i enjoy, usually the robusto is the best one.


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## Johnny Rock (Jun 25, 2010)

My rule of thumb:

Small RG = taste the wrapper.

Large RG = taste the filler.

IMHO a robusto size give you a good presentation of both wrapper and filler.


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## CajunMaduro (Dec 2, 2009)

I like the Rubusto,, and I like the figurado shape,, I think it makes a cigar finish perfect, "to my taste".


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## chaone (Aug 1, 2010)

In a word, YES. The larger ring guage also tends to smoke cooler, give more smoke and have a better draw. It makes it easier to taste.


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## ni8shadow (Jul 25, 2010)

I'm a toro/ torpedo guy.


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## Jeep (Jul 7, 2010)

Ring gauge matters. Go bigger and naturally you get more smoke too. Bigger ring gauges have become more and more popular the more Burley varieties are planted. A burley plant is able to produce a literally huge leaf.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Don't forget that length plays a part. I took Cigary's advice and, once clearing the home of wife and kids (to a pool party), tried a churchhill with no interuptions. Wonderful! Slow and cool and the flavors lasted a long time. In some I like a corona, others a toro and some in robusto.
Even going from standard to box pressed makes a difference to me. I like some boxed pressed but in the standard I don't care for them too much (RP OWR maduro is one, MX2 box pressed is another).

I like to start with a robusto and then try other sizes in the same line before making a decision.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

piperdown said:


> Don't forget that length plays a part. I took Cigary's advice and, once clearing the home of wife and kids (to a pool party), tried a churchhill with no interuptions. Wonderful! Slow and cool and the flavors lasted a long time. In some I like a corona, others a toro and some in robusto.
> Even going from standard to box pressed makes a difference to me. I like some boxed pressed but in the standard I don't care for them too much (RP OWR maduro is one, MX2 box pressed is another).
> 
> I like to start with a robusto and then try other sizes in the same line before making a decision.


Thanks for the plug there Eric... I remember that thread and glad you took that advice as time and taste gives back to you in more ways than just taste. Being uninterrupted lets you relax and enjoy the total experience. I enjoy Toros/Coronas as well but it's the Churchill that gets the nod...enough filler and a good dark wrapper is the total experience I crave from cigars. Anything smaller feels rushed to me where I feel I have to cram all of that taste into a short amount of time...I like 2 hours of bliss.

Size does change the taste...all you have to do is try it for yourself with one brand and smoke each size...you will taste the difference in the ratio of filler/binder/wrapper.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Cigary said:


> Thanks for the plug there Eric... I remember that thread and glad you took that advice as time and taste gives back to you in more ways than just taste. Being uninterrupted lets you relax and enjoy the total experience. I enjoy Toros/Coronas as well but it's the Churchill that gets the nod...enough filler and a good dark wrapper is the total experience I crave from cigars. Anything smaller feels rushed to me where I feel I have to cram all of that taste into a short amount of time...I like 2 hours of bliss.
> 
> Size does change the taste...all you have to do is try it for yourself with one brand and smoke each size...you will taste the difference in the ratio of filler/binder/wrapper.


Credit where credit is due....I had (almost completely) written off churchhills...


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

Most of the masters will blend to the Corona size and then when they get it perfected they move on to the others. They feel that the Corona gives the best wrapper to filler combination.

Some lines you can taste a sigificant difference between sizes and some it is almost non-existant.


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## BillyVoltaire (Jun 23, 2009)

Longer sticks should burn a little cooler too, I think this is why many books that you see say that first time smokers should smoke Churchills or longer smokes. 

BV


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## Bunker (Jul 20, 2010)

I know it does for me, I think the only cigar I can say I enjoy with a small ring gauge is the Montecristo #3 

Everything I buy is at least a 49 rg.


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## ipoppedoff (Jul 30, 2010)

I tend to think size does affect the taste. Usually bigger sticks have a fuller flavor profile than their smaller family members.


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## ni8shadow (Jul 25, 2010)

OK so in the afternoon I smoked a RP Vint. '92 Torpedo. After dinner I tried the Vintage '92 Robusto. Torpedo was A LOT better. I could identify all the flavors more easily. The only drawback for that was the time it takes to smoke. 

Funny, the the robusto's gauge is 50 while the torp. is 52. A little larger gauge has that much difference? Unless it was the dinner, panko crusted tilapia with green beans and a piece of chocolate after?


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

I've read a lot of articles on this and Donnie is right when he says that most blenders use the Corona size cigar as "a" standard even though there is a sliding scale as to what a "true" corona size is. It can range from a length of 5-6 nches and a RG of 42-48 and in my "golden days" a Joya De Nicaragua Corona 
which was 5-5/8" inches long and had a 48 ring gauge...that was over 20 years ago. Here is some thoughts as to what to expect from smaller Ring Guage Cigars:

Heat up fast and tend to burn Hot.

Often have little or no *ligero *in the filler blend. Ligero leaves are grown at the top of the tobacco plant and have a very strong flavor. Ligero leaves are oily and burn slowly. They have to be matured for at least two years before they can be used in cigars.

Often have more *volvado *in the filler blend. Volvado leaves are from the bottom of the tobacco plant and are used to sustain a good burn rate and to add bulk to a cigar. Unfortunately, volvado leaves have little or no flavor and are usually matured for less than one year before being used in cigar making.

While RG does give you a consistantcy for taste length does enter into the equation for "freshness" because it will smoke "cooler" and that does make a difference in how a cigar is going to smoke.

If you take a Robusto and draw on it with a slower rate of draw you can achieve a cooler smoke but most do not "nurse" a Robusto cigar...it's a smaller length cigar obviously from a churchill and the approach when smoking a Robusto is not like a Churchill. As some have already noted they do not have the appropriate amount of time to give to a Churchill...it's obviously made for retired folks or those who can give it 2 hours or more of their time. It's not hard for me to take my churchills and get 2 1/2 hours or even up to 3 out of them because I draw slowly on them. I've done the 1 3/4 churchill and it was not as enjoyable because I was drawing too often, too much and when I slowed the pace it was much more enjoyable. For Newbs I think it's important to note...these are not like cigarettes where you take a big long draw...it's a cigar that is meant to be enjoyed. Just my 2 cents here.


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## pips (Jul 29, 2010)

good to know thanks.


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## kansashat (Mar 13, 2004)

Yes. I've found some bigger sizes, over 50, quite pleasing if filled & rolled correctly. If they are underfilled, they smoke hot & bitter.


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## denarok (Aug 10, 2009)

I am probably going to be in the minority but I do not like it that different sizes of the same cigar taste differently.

The reason is, say I try a robusto which is almost the one I always get, and I am not happy with it, I could still be missing something if i do not try the other sizes, but a lot of times I discount them because if I did not like it the first time I hate to waste my time and money on a different size.

The only time I try a different size is when it is a cigar I know I like, but then say I tried the toro and then the robusto goes on sale and I get those and not same I am disappointed. 

I guess it comes down to there are too many choices, and if only took 1 minute to smoke a cigar like a cigarette(not that I would want that) i would not mind so much but i hate it when I light a cigar that costs some money and really do not like it, do i throw it away or keep smoking?


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